Birding By Midnight

Spotlighting Sessions

Twice in the past fortnight, I have embarked on the three-hour drive from Melbourne to Port Fairy in order to clamber onboard the Southern Explorer and indulge in the onerous venture of pelagic sea birding. As a self-confessed zealous seabirder, this is an undertaking that I absolutely revere and spend all week feeling excited for. However, a trip to Port Fairy usually holds a little more than just albatross and a handful of shearwaters. Trusting it's dark enough (which being winter it most certainly is!), one can be assured that I'll be stopping along the way to do a little spotlighting! Because at nighttime, it's all about the owls!

First up is the Western Treatment Plant, a sewage farm that's considered of the top ten birding locations of the entire planet. Not only is it spectacular during the day, but holds many secrets at night for those who are willing to put in the effort. Nocturnal birds such as Eastern Barn Owl, Southern Boobook, Eastern Grass Owl (vagrant), Australian Owlet-nightjar & Tawny Frogmouth have all been recorded here over the years - not to mention a variety of grassland birds such as Stubble Quail & Australasian Pipit, who are just likely to be seen on the roads at night as during the day. Tonight, I bypassed the woodlot (normally stopping here to search for Southern Boobook and Tawny Frogmouth) and headed straight to Beach Rd. Beach Rd is a renowned location for Eastern Barn Owl, particularly in Winter when they seem to descend here for easy feeding.

Unfortunately tonight the Eastern Barn Owl didn't play ball, only briefly responding to some playback but deciding to fly out from the outer fields. On I continued, where I found a gorgeous roosting Black-shouldered Kite and a very active Tawny Frogmouth at the corner of Pt. Wilson and Beach Rd.

Black-shouldered Kite

Black-shouldered Kite

Tawny Frogmouth

The night was off to a good start, with a close-up encounter with an esteemed bird of prey and a very handsome Tawny Frogmouth! Next stop was Ralph Illidge Sanctuary, a Trust For Nature property located in Naringal East (about half way between Colac and Warnambool). This is a hotspot frequented by birders regularly on their way to the states east, usually to partake on pelagics (exactly like myself). Despite being a known locale for Australia's largest nocturnal raptor (Powerful Owl), to my knowledge, it has had very little attention after dark. I had spotlit here before on a few occasions in the past, with the best bird thus eventuating as a Southern Boobook. Tonight I had my fingers crossed I may finally affix myself with the magnanimous Powerful Owl.

The birding gods must have heard my prayers because almost minutes after pulling in the car park, I heard a vociferous female Powerful Owl hooting with all her might back to my own poor impressions of a male Powerful. Clearly, she wasn't fooled because she silenced soon after, unquestionably figuring out my crude mimicry for the feeble imitations that they were. Suddenly there was a crash in the trees next to me - and I jumped expecting to see a Powerful Owl, but instead witnessed a dainty little Ring-tailed Possum, scampering up the tree in shock (I think all the Powerful Owl hooting may have given it a little start!).

As the Powerful Owl had now long disappeared and there were no other signs of movement, I hoped back into the car and continued on my way. Minutes passed and I hadn't travelled very far when suddenly a massive grey creature ambled out on the road in front of me. Swerving just in time, I pulled over to watch a mighty Koala meander away from the road and jump into the nearest tree. Grabbing the camera, I went and gave this arboreal herbivorous marsupial the photo shoot of a lifetime. It seemed very special to share this moment in solitude in the pitch of night with this exceptionally wonderful Australian endemic.

Ring-tailed Possum

Koala

Koala

Leaving our fluffy-eared friend behind, I continued on towards Warnambool driving slowly with my spotlight out the window, trying to catch anything that might be perched near the road (and hopefully no more kamikaze koalas). Unfortunately, the evening took a turn for the worst when up around the bend I found a crumpled heap of feathers in the centre of the road. It was a Southern Boobook, an innocent bird who had failed to avoid a collision with an oncoming vehicle. Southern Boobook are incredible, ingenious and remarkable birds. Common across most of Australia, you never fail to get some enjoyment out of seeing this species in the wild. However even with their extraordinary eyesight, cunning and brilliance, this little guy was unable to avert the inevitable on this occasion. This is a reminder for us all to take extra care when driving roads at night, particular country roads. We are in these creatures territories and the road rules don't apply to them. It is our responsibility to act conscientiously for the sake our natives.

A couple of tips if you're in an accident with a creature on our roads.

1. Check to see what kind of condition it's in (is it alive or deceased?)2. If it's a native mammal (marsupial) check it doesn't have any young in its pouch3. If alive, remove creature from road and take it to nearest Animal Shelter, Vet or otherwise4. If you feel confident, sometimes you can nurse birds back to health yourselves, particularly if it's just a broken leg or wing. They need care, warmth and food whilst they recover. 5. If deceased, at least make the effort to move the corpse off the road.6. Consider bagging and collecting the creature for museum use

Moon

Southern Boobook

Southern Boobook

Finally, I reached Port Fairy where I began blasting the heater in my room of "The Stump Hotel", as the outside temperature had just rolled around to 1° - now that's cold! It had been a big day of travelling. Black-shouldered Kite, Tawny Frogmouth, Koala and Common Ring-tailed Possum all seen, with Eastern Barn Owl and Powerful Owl heard calling. In a few hours time, it would be all about the seabirds, at least until the journey back to Melbourne!

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